Photoshop Print Margins

Setting margins is easy with this trick

Jose writes:

[Quote]
i been using photoshop for almost 7 years never had a problem with it until know it may sound kind of stupid but how do i change the margins in photoshop like in microsoft word does.

I'm trying to print something with exactly measurments and photoshop is not letting me change them under the file/page set up the margins appear but i can't change them there are grey out -- trying to have a marging of .125 all around the page thank you for your time...
[End Quote]

Jose, you didn't say WHICH version of Photoshop you're using, nor which computer/OS you're using. You should always include those necessary bits of info. So we'll have to assume it's in the CS family under Windows.

Choose the "Print Preview" command...

File > Print With Preview

or Ctrl+Alt+P (Cmd/Option/P for Mac)

There you'll see a dialog with a moveable image, handles and inch markers to set the page layout you desire.

If the image is larger, there's also a "Scaled Print Size" section where you scale to fit.

Make sure you select the specific printer you're using. Mac users can enjoy OS X automatic printer configure and settings download that assures the very latest drivers for your printer are in use.

FAVORITE WAY:

We have become accustomed to a slightly different method since the early pinnings of Photoshop were really cranky on precision layout. (Keep in mind that Photoshop is an image editing program, NOT a publishing program even though Adobe wants you to believe otherwise. (You do not lay the sidewalk with the cement mixer... the cement mixer is for mixing the cement.)

For those demanding print jobs, set the page size to be the paper size at the resolution you desire. Now you can position the image precisely on the page where you want it. When printing, then the image does the work and NOT the page setup or printer. Remember: "What you see is what you get"

:-)

Comments

[Jennifer]

Why has no one found a way to fix this yet?? My margins box is greyed out too!

[Mark]

dude i don't think you understand what he is saying...he means that you have to compensate your document layout for where artworks begins and ends. you can't just set a 8.5 x 11 inches size, and print it, and expect the margins to work out....you should make the document, and then place guides .125 inches at the top, left, right and bottom of your entire document. Then use what you have left for your artwork and print.

You can also try to scale the media down though it doesn't always align perfect. Try printing a tri-fold brochure, the folds won't line up perfectly all the time. The best is to compensate in your document as mentioned above.

[Lori]

I am using photoshop CS2 print package with an epson stylus 4800. I am unable to get a true 5x7 or 4x5 or 3 1/2 x5 or 4x6 or 2x3 without lying to the soft ware. Let's say I want 2 5x7's I have to go into the edit in photo shop package print and type in 5.25 and 7.50 in order to get a 5x7. Has anyone else not actually measured their prints or is my soft ware tainted?

[Adrian]

Grahf gets it! I too have the same issue and can't seem to find a way around it. Answers , please!

[Tarl]

Actually, Robert's answer was what you were looking for. I'm not sure you understand completely what he was saying, but he is correct. And that is exactly what you need to do in order to fix your margins.

[Robert Cattan]

This my Help. To be able to access the grey out margins YOU HAVE TO UNCHECKED the center image box in the print with preview dialog.

[Terry Britton]

I believe this writer is up against his or her particular printer's print margins first, and the printer driver's features, as to whether it allows margin control beyond left-aligned, centered, or top aligned, for instance.

This situation is complicated by which printer you are using, and what its own built-in print margins are. For instance, on an Epson 1270 injet, I am always going to have to face the fact that I will have built-in 1/8" margins on top and sides, and a half-inch "pusher" margin on the bottom, and these will not allow themselves to be changed. You have to compensate in your document's layout for the fact that no matter how hard you try, the printer will never be able to print in the region where the rollers have to do the final "push" of the paper out of the printer. (Try printing a two-sided, tri-fold brochure without taking THAT into account!)

With most Laser printers I use, it is instead the "pull" margin which will not be printable, and is also often an entire 1/2" give or take a 32nd. And unless you have a photo-type of inkjet printer that is capable of edge-to-edge printing, you will never be able to do away with the 1/8" or so margins on the sides, placed there to control overspray on most inkjets.

So, the ability to adjust the margins in the "Print Preview" dialogue is dependent on the freedoms granted to it by the printer driver, and is under that driver/printer's control, not Photoshop's. Sometimes you can find deep in the printer setup dialogues methods to set the print margins within the driver's own options offerings.

But the main point here is that is it a printer driver controlled issue, not the fault of Photoshop per se, except perhaps in Adobe's allowing such free reign to authors of printer drivers.

[Grahf]

This is not a good answer. There is a grayed out region in CS2 when using print preview. This region is not changeable. When going into the paper options, the margin is grayed out and also cannot be changed. Your answer does not alleviate this problem. Without being able to change the margin numbers, there seems to be no way to print without the unecessary margins. Any way to fix this?